It Hurts, But Looting Victim Understands

Since he opened his Esmeralda grocery store four months ago, Martin Martinez has extended credit to customers and played softball with

neighborhood kids. He thought people liked him.

Early Sunday morning, though, his store was one of more than a dozen looted or vandalized when a blackout plunged Chicago`s West Side into darkness. At least 49 people were arrested on charges ranging from burglary to disorderly conduct, police said.

But city officials and area residents were relieved that the damage had not been worse, given that street lights and burglar alarms were not working.

``There was no such thing as a riot or heavy looting, and the Chicago Police Department can verify that,`` Mayor Richard Daley said.

``People are becoming more considerate,`` said James Adams, a resident of the 1500 block of South St. Louis Street. ``We look out for each other as much as we can,`` Adams added, standing outside King`s Food and Liquor, 3509 W. 16th St., which had not been hit.

But at the Esmeralda grocery store, 1800 S. Homan Ave., looters pried guard bars off windows, smashed the glass, stole some food, destroyed the rest and set a dumpster on fire.

``It hurts, but I`m not surprised,`` Martinez said. ``We were just easy prey.`` He estimated his losses at $35,000, which he hopes his insurance will cover.

Some looters were customers who had been extended credit, said Ricky Powell, a friend of Martinez. ``These people just saw an opportunity,`` Powell said.

According to police, 11 stores were looted in the Marquette and Harrison police districts late Saturday night and Sunday morning. But Ald. William Henry (24th) said he knew of some 17 stores vandalized in his ward, which covers parts of the two police districts.

There were complaints that police officers had not tried to arrest vandals at some stores, and Capt. Anthony Ivanjack of the Marquette district told West Side aldermen the allegations would be investigated.

At other stores, residents said, looters outnumbered police and threw rocks and bottles at them.

``The stores that were affected crossed all racial lines,`` said Police Supt. LeRoy Martin. But Henry said most of the attacks resulted from

``personal conflicts between blacks and Arab store owners,`` who have been accused in the past of overcharging customers and selling shoddy merchandise. Many other Arab-owned stores were not attacked because owners were on hand to discourage looters, Henry added. In some cases, residents telephoned store owners and urged them to return to protect their stores.

Employee Ralf Ayash attributed the good fortune at Kings Food and Liquor to goodwill built up over the years. ``We`ve been around this neighborhood 13 years, and we treat everybody nice,`` he said. ``I guess they gave us a break.``

But Mohammad Hamad, owner of the Way-Low grocery in the 1500 block of South Kedzie Avenue, arrived too late to prevent an estimated $35,000 worth of theft and vandalism at his store.

``I had to go eat, and when I came back I found everything gone,`` Hamad said. ``I saw a lot of people with bags and boxes. I couldn`t stop them.``

On Sunday afternoon, Lloyd Aaron, 35, stood in a crowd outside the Way-Low. ``I know it`s wrong, but I don`t condemn it,`` he said. ``When people have nothing, they have to get it the way they can.``

Hamad, who spent most of the day cleaning up, said he planned to sit in front of the store Sunday night, hoping to prevent further trouble.

At the Quality Food Market, 3527 W. 16th St., which reported $4,000 in losses, thieves made off with meat, cigarettes and baby formula, said Gus Salah, cousin of the store owner. ``They must have been hungry,`` he said.

On Sunday, however, the store reopened to sell cigarettes. ``Everybody`s hyper without cigarettes,`` Salah explained.

Vandals cracked windows but did not gain entry to the Lucky Clothing store, 5608 W. Madison St., according to owner Leo Hsiung.

Hsiung said he arrived at the store at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, after hearing reports of the outage, but was too scared to get out of his car. ``By that time, it was a mess,`` he said. ``It was real dark. Police were all over here.``

Next door, at the Glade Food and Liquor store, 5610 W. Madison St., thieves took liquor and two cash registers containing more than $2,500, according to manager Mohammed Alaraj.

Alaraj said he stayed at the store until 3:30 a.m. Sunday, then left. When he returned later in the morning to open up, he said, he discovered the break-in.

``You think I can express my feelings in words?`` he asked. ``I can`t.``